Stranger Things: Return to Normal? Alternate Universe
by Ch323232
Summary: This is an AU or my original story Stranger Things to Return to Normal?. I really wanted to let Mike vs Hopper get real and do something more unique I hope. Not sure how many chapters of this I'll do but I want this story to be really good!
1. Chapter 1

**Alright I hit a bit of a creative block with Return to Normal but I have really been wanting to do an AU where Mike vs Hopper gets real. I feel like stories usually either a) Mike and Hopper compromise to some varying degree or b) Mike submits to varying degrees. This AU is where neither of those scenarios happen. This will be an AU based on the first few chapters of return to normal except it deviates in chapter 3-3 part 2. Chapter 4 would also be considered "canon" for this AU story as it was a flash back to before chapter 1. I will use some of the same lines from chapter 3 part 2 in the beginning just to help with the story flow. Hope everyone enjoys it! Don't know how long this story will last but I don't think I've seen anyone go this route. Also by the way if this first chapter makes me seem like I don't like Hopper just know I love Hopper!**

Chapter 1

This takes place about 2 months after the snowball, Hopper only allows weekend visits and on Friday it can be just Mike and El but only when Hoppers there and the only alone time they are allowed is short walks around the house, during one of these short walks is when Mike introduced El to the joys of making out.

On a Thursday Mike decided to go sneak off and see El again. This time he didn't really have the excuse that his friends were busy. After school they all wanted to go to the arcade but Mike said he was feeling really sick and acted like he was going home.

Instead Mike went straight to the cabin after school. The whole time he was riding he was just thinking about El. The more he thought about her the faster he could pedal. Mike made it to the cabin about 5 minutes faster than he did the last time.

Mike walked up to the door and knocked and then El opened the door and saw him. She didn't say anything she just jumped at him and started kissing him. Mike held her close and slowly pushed her inside so he could close the door while kissing her.

They slowly made their way to the couch and after a few minutes finally came up for air. "Wow! That's like the best hello ever!" Mike said with the biggest smile.

"It's my favorite thing Mike" El said with her face glowing.

"So what do you think we should do tonight El?"

"Let's go to my room and watch another movie" El took his hand and lead him to her room.

Mike looked through the movies he wanted to watch and eventually asked, "Have you ever seen Scarface?"

"No that's in the scary movie box I worry about watching those"

"Oh ok what do you want to watch?"

El thought to herself that since Mike likes kissing her so much he'd like a movie with that kind of stuff so she picked out Staying Alive.

Mike thought to himself you have to talk her into watching scaring movies or you'll be stuck watching chick flicks from now on, definitely have to get her to watch Star Wars.

So Mike and El got up in bed together like last time. It was quite awkward for Mike to be lying in bed with her but El seemed to be completely oblivious to this and she was just thrilled to be with him. Being by herself all day was very boring.

Mike and El laid next to each other very close with Mike's arm under her head and around her shoulder. As the movie went on Mike found himself very sleepy and he looked over at El and she was sleepy too. Eventually they couldn't keep their eyes open despite trying too and they fell asleep.

Hopper pulled up to the House and walked to the door and gave his usual knock. No answer. He jiggled the door knob and realized the door was unlocked. He thought to himself I'm gunna have to talk to that kid she must have been outside at some point.

Hopper walks in and yells "Hey kid I'm home, you left the door unlocked you know what I've said about that"

El and Mike woke up very groggy and El just responded to Hopper "bedroom… tired"

"Too tired for pizza? I brought pizza home!"

Mike quickly realized what was going in and he rolled off the bed and slid under it making a very loud noise.

"What the hell was that kid!" Hopper shouted.

Now El's face was red once she realized Hopper was home and if he caught Mike they'd be in so much trouble.

"Dropped something, its ok"

"Alright get out here and have dinner"

El walked out of her room and closed the door behind her. Hopper thought to himself that's weird. Hopper jokingly asked her "Are you hiding something in there?"

El quickly replied in a defensive voice, "NO"

Hopper now knew something was up. Hopper went over to her room and tried to open up the door but he quickly realized El was holding the door closed with her powers. "What the hell kid, what's going on in there?!"

Mike was trying to get out the window during this time but he made a bit of noise getting out of the window. When Hopper heard this he stopped trying to get into El's room and looked out the kitchen window and saw someone running away from the house.

Hopper tried to get out of the door but El kept him from opening the door. Hopper yelled at El "Let me out of this door right now!"

Mike stopped when he heard shouting. Mike thought to himself you know what I'm sick and tired of that bastard. He acts like he cares about El but it's just guilt he has no right to tell her what to do! Mike thought back to a conversation he had with Jonathan; Jonathan in his investigation of what was going on had put together that Hopper must have sold out El to save Will. Mike was willing to not mention it to anyone because of everything Hopper had done for her and the group after. But Mike was just plain sick of being apart and having to sneak around.

Mike knocked on the door and yelled in, "Let me back in!"

El released her lock on the door and Hopper opened the door and grabbed Mike by the collar and pulled him in. Mike grabbed Hoppers hand and threw it off of him. It was all Hopper could do to restrain himself from punching Mike.

"What the hell do you kids think you are doing! I trusted you guys to obey the rules and this is how you repay me!"

"Go blow yourself you stupid shitty ass bitch!"

"Excuse me what the hell did you just say" Hopper screamed. El was in complete shock and did not know what to say.

"You heard me you pussy ass bitch! I'm gunna be with El whenever me and El want to be together and if you have a problem with that you can go blow yourself!"

"Mike! Settle down!" El pleaded.

"Why should I settle down for this asshole and how the hell can this bitch have any right to you at all! Do you know what he did El? He sold you out to Brenner, that's how they knew we were at the school! If it wasn't for this dumb shit you might not have been sent back the upside down!"

El looked at Hopper in shock "What?!" Hopper was beside himself how did Mike know that, he didn't even confess that to Joyce.

"Ya and that's why he felt all guilty and tried to find you and put the food in that box. He feels guilty and that's fine but then he thinks he has any right to tell me and you what to do? He can go blow a horse for all care, stupid bastard!"

"Ok that's enough Mike, you take your ass home right now and get out of my house!"

Mike looked at him and flipped him off and said "Suck my dick you fat ass bastard!"

El was looking back and forth as this fight unfolded, she was in disbelief had Hopper really betrayed her. El spoke up, "Is it true? Did you really sell me out"

Hopper looked down in shame, "Yeah its true but I did it to save Will, I couldn't let him die I had to, and they told me the other boys would be alright"

"Yeah and your dumbass believed them, if it wasn't for El me, Dustin, and Lucas would be dead and it would be all your fault and now you try to tell me what to do, fat chance you stupid bitch!"

Hopper started shaking and got teary eyed, "I made mistakes kids, I'm sorry I don't know what to say but I'm sorry. I've tried to make up for it, to keep her safe. I'm really really sorry. But I am the adult I have to make these decisions. So I am giving you one chance, one chance to start over. 2 months grounding and an apology from everyone including me to you guys"

"Not a chance in hell" Mike said calmly with a most determined look.

"Then its six months and you can't come over even after that unless you personally apologize to me"

Mike looked over to El who was just slowly shaking her head and had her hand on her head just trying to process what was going on. Hopper betrayed her and Mike to save Will... was that ok? Mike didn't think it was ok and she knew Mike cared deeply about Will. She had spent so long with Hopper and grew to love him but Mike was the only one who showed absolute loyalty to her so how could Mike be in the wrong and deserving of punishment and how did she deserve punishment? El lifted her head up and walked over to Mike and held his hand, "NO!"

"You can't tell me no, I'm the parent you are a kid, we have discussed this!"

"If you won't let me and Mike be together then I don't want to live with you!"

"And who do you think you are going to live with? Mike? He doesn't have his own house his Mom will never let you live with him"

"I have a place we can go far from here, if Mike wants"

Mike looked at her "What?"

"We talked about someone when you were here before someone he doesn't know about, we can go if you want"

"So what you want to run away?" Mike asked

"Yes, lets go Mike"

"Hold up! You guys can't run away! I won't let you and even if you get away from me Mike's mom will call the police, there would be a state wide search for you guys!" Hopper said, "Just wait maybe I was too hard just stay and lets keep talking about this!"

"No" El took off the blue bracelet that Hopper had given her before the snowball and threw it on the ground and took Mike by the hand and they walked out the door.

Hopper was frozen in total disbelief of what just happened. He grabbed the blue bracelet in his hand and started weeping uncontrollably.

 **a/n well shit! I feel really bad I just did this... also I'm not sure if the F-bomb is allowed for rated T so that's why I used blow**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After El took Mike by the hand and walked out of Hoppers cabin Mike stopped her about 10 feet past the house.

Mike stood in front of her holding both of her hands and asked, "Are you sure you want to do this El?"

"Yes you are the person I want to be with not him, I never want to be with anyone who would use or betray me again" El replied in a cold voice.

"This is like one of the biggest decisions of our life El, it means we will be on the run at least for a while, we probably won't be able to see Will, Lucas, Dustin, or Max for a long time; and you told me your sister is a killer so to be with her we would have to be involved with that so we would be criminals"

"I can't stay with him anymore, I want you to be with me but I got to go, get away from him"

During this conversation Hopper was in the cabin crying but he forced himself to regain his composure and he opened up the door and saw Mike and El talking just a few feet away from the cabin.

Hopper yelled at them, "Hey kids, get back in here we can still talk this out, it doesn't have to be this way; you don't have to run away! I can change, I don't want to lose you!"

"No! You are like Papa! You don't just lie, you betray! you use! you are a bad man a very bad man!" with that El flicked her wrist and sent Hopper flying back into the cabin and then she closed the door with her powers.

El went back to holding Mike's hands and pleaded with him "Mike, please come with me; I want you with me!"

"Ok El if this is what you want, I'll do anything for you; I will always do anything for you" Mike gave her a quick but intense kiss and then they took off into the woods.

Hopper was just beside himself. When El threw him back he hit his head hard and could barley think. After a few minutes Hopper was able to stand up and then he walked to the door slowly and opened it and El and Mike were no where to be found. "Shit!" Hopper said to himself. "Now what the hell am I going to do!"

Hopper went out into the woods and went to look for them, thinking to himself I don't care what I have to promise I can't let those kids run away. Maybe I just can't be a Dad, maybe Joyce can take her, anything but this!

After a couple hours of walking through the woods both Mike and El were starting to get tired they were heading in the general direction of Chicago but they had not realized just how far the woods stretched in that direction before even seeing a road.

As luck would have it Mike and El walked past an old abandoned cabin, but they were both very hungry.

"Well we can stay here for now, rest up but we should probably make more progress tommorow night. My Mom is going to have the police looking for us so we should probably only travel at night until we get to Your sister."

"Ok Mike, I'm hungry though"

"Yeah me too El, I guess we should hunt for something to eat"

"Squirrel?" El asked

"That's a little gross El, a rabbit would be better" Mike said with a smirk.

"Squirrels taste good Mike"

"Really? Ok if you really want a squirrel that's fine I guess"

El looked around and saw two squirrels sitting up in a tree so she flung them down with her powers instantly killing them.

"Wow El that was really cool, but a little distrurbing at the same time"

"Why disturbing?"

"I don't know I guess because I like animals maybe"

"Oh" El replied.

"But I guess I'll have to get used to it since we are on our own now" Mike said taking her hand into his while holding the two squirrels, "Let's start a fire and cook these guys up"

With that Mike and El made a fire and cooked the squirrels up and started eating them.

Mike took the first bite and thought to himself it's not as bad as I thought, not good by any stretch of the imagination but not bad.

He looked at El who was chowing down on the squirrel and seemed to be enjoying it far more than he was.

After they finished eating they walked into the cabin. It was a total mess, things all over the place. It was also very small, just a kitchen and a bed, there was an outhouse in the back though Mike just assumed he'd rather go in the woods.

After a bit El went over to the bed and laid down. There wasn't any blankets or anything on the bed. She motioned for Mike to come over. El noticed Mike's face was getting a little red. She figured he was nervous about sleeping with her she kind of understood why because she had "the talk" with Joyce. So she spoke up, "Come on Mike let's go to sleep."

"Ok" Mike said laying down next to and facing her. El looked at him and smiled and gave him a quick kiss before getting close to him and putting her head on his chest.

"Don't ever leave me Mike, I always want to be with you, forever"

Mike smiled, "Ok El I promise you and me forever" Mike put his arm around her and kissed her forehead and shortly after they both fell asleep.

Hopper was doing his best to track them. He kept replaying everything that happened in his mind. Was he too strict? What could he have said different? Why couldn't Mike have talked to him about it? He thought he and Mike were ok, he knew them wanting to be together was always going to be a point of contention he just wasn't expecting a big blow up so soon. Why did Mike allow his feelings about the betrayal to fester instead of talking to him about it? Why do teenagers do anything crazy that they do?

Hopper concluded the best course for him would be for him to apologize to them and talk to Joyce about it. El could stay with Joyce until she and him could find a way to reconcile. Hopper could build her a room at the Byers as a way to start that process. Hopper knew this might put a wrinkle with him and Joyce because Hopper was feeling like he and Joyce were getting very close and things were progressing quickly with her. Of course now he'd have to admit what he did to Joyce so he wasn't sure how that would go.

Hopper noticed the remains of a fire near an old abandoned cabin that appeared recent. He thought to himself maybe this is them. He slowly crept up to the cabin but he tripped over something and heard loud clagging. Mike and El had rigged an alarm system with some of the old pots and pans from the cabin before they went to sleep.

Mike and El immediately woke up and ran outside and saw Hopper. El screamed at him, "Just leave us alone!"

"Wait! Just let me say I'm sorry please!" Hopper pleaded

"No! Stay away from me!" El said slowly raising her arm up

"You can stay with the Byers! I'll talk to Joyce about it, you won't have to see me after tonight I promise!"

"You promise and lie all the time!" El screamed. Mike however perked up at the thought of that. If she's at the Byers they can see eachother everyday.

"Wait El maybe would should listen.." Mike said and then El cut him off, "No!"

El flicked her wrist and broke Hoppers leg. Hopper screamed in pain and yelled, "What the hell is wrong with you!" El pushed him away with her powers and grabbed Mike's hand and pulled him to run with her.

After a while of running they made it to a road where the hitched hiked until they got to a bus station.

Mike and El didn't have much conversation during this time until they got on the bus. For the first time Mike was actually afraid of El. Mike wanted to hurt Hopper too for everything but he didn't figure on breaking his leg and leaving him in the middle of the woods.

While he was thinking on this El leaned her head on his shoulder and put her hand over her face and started crying. "What is wrong with me! How could I do that!"

Mike held her close, "It's ok El we can get through this but I'm not sure going to your sister is the best idea anymore"

"What should we do?"

"I don't know but we will figure something out."

It took Hopper forever to make it to the road on one leg but eventually he made it and hitched a ride to the hospital and then he called in the two kids as missing then he had to explain to Karen Wheeler who was a complete mess. Karen didn't know Mike had a girlfriend and Hoppers explaination of a fight seemed crazy to her. Hopper left out the truth of everything so to Karen it seemed like Mike ran off to be with some girl which just seemed so far out of character to her she didn't know what to think.

Karen called Nancy down to tell her, Ted was on a business trip.

"Nancy your brother is in so much trouble I can't even handle it!"

"What happened Mom?"

"He snuck out to Chief Hoppers house to be with his girlfriend and then Hopper caught them and they got in a major fight and ran away together! I just can't Nancy does that even sound like your brother?"

Nancy thought to herself well obviously Hoppers leaving a lot of detail out but no I can't believe he'd actually run away, "No Mom that doesn't sound like him at all, is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know!" Karen said before sobbing uncontrollably so Nancy came over and hugged her. Nancy couldn't hold it back either. She knew there was more to the story and she just wanted Mike to be alright.

Hopper had Joyce get the kids and Nancy over to her house so he could tell them all at once. It was a Friday so there was school but Hopper pulled them out of it as official police business.

When Hopper gathered everyone into Joyce's living room he was about to speak but Will ended up being the first one to talk, "Where is Mike?"

"That's what we need to talk about guys. First let me just say that I'm sorry I've made a lot of mistakes and those mistakes are what led to what happened last night. El and Mike and I had a fight that led to them running away. I don't know where they went but apparently El knows someone who would take them in."

Every looked around at eachother in complete shock.

"Mike and El ran away together?" Will asked in complete disbelief

"Yes, I have a major confession it's something I was hoping I'd never have to share. In order to save Will I gave up El's location on that day over a year ago now. Mike found out about it and he let it fester inside him and it all boiled over last night and when he said it and El found out about it she said she didn't want to see me anymore and asked Mike to run away with her. I chased after them and tried to get her to stay here with Joyce and build her her own room so she wouldn't have to see me, Mike tried to tell her to listen but she refused and broke my leg so I couldn't follow them anymore"

"Holy shit!" Dustin said.

"I can't believe you did that! You wouldn't trust any of us to know she's alive when you were the one who sold us out! Man that's messed up!" Lucas stated.

"I know, I can't say I'm sorry anymore than I already have!" Hopper exclaimed.

"Hop I don't know what to say" Joyce said

"I do, your a piece of shit! My brother may be like super annoying but he's much better than you could ever be; the only thing that matters now is finding them and bringing them back. Then you can just stay out of our lives!"

Hopper looked down, "We will find them, El can stay here and I'll stay away; I promise!"

 **A/N Awww Nancy :)**


End file.
